SmartyPantz In the News

Tamara Stanners, James Sutton and others from 102.7 The Peak FM came through SmartyPantz today and had a great time. They were unsuccessful in their spirit cleansing mission but sounds like they enjoyed it all the same.

This guy really gets what we are doing at SmartyPantz. His distilled explanation will help those not fully understanding what an escape room is, or for that matter what separates a good one from the great experience of SmartyPantz.

Downtown’s first escape gaming room has opened … or should I say locked … its doors. SmartyPantz, located on Abbott Street in Gastown, offers five different themed rooms to escape from – ranging in difficulty from “moderate to diabolical.”

SmartyPantz co-owner Chris Ricard stands inside one of the company’s specially-designed theme rooms at their office in Vancouver, Tuesday, April 14, 2015. Countless Canadians are shelling out cash to get locked up. Escape rooms have sprung up by the dozens in Toronto and have also opened in a number of other cities across the country.

Province reporter Stuart Derdeyn visited SmartyPantz in Gastown, Vancouver’s first downtown escape room experience, and had a spooky good time in their version of a Haunted Study, Morning Never Comes. SmartyPantz will have 5 separate escape room adventures, designed and built by professional film, TV and theatre designers. SmartyPantz escape rooms provides an immersive experience that is the perfect setting for a corporate outing. Lots of fun to be had and it requires many collaborative team building elements to complete the challenges.

Sitting on the corner of Cordova and Abbott, the Runkle Block (cue to the obvious Californication reference) is a four-storey Edwardian era building faced with brick and concrete. Constructed in 1911, it was one of several buildings that formed the transition point between the Pacific shipping routes and the railway.

Today, SmartyPantz inhabits space in both buildings. The adjoining walls between them were removed some time ago, opening the space up and allowing the escape room newcomer to create a space that honours the building’s history while making the best possible use of its haunting demeanor.

Writer Ishra Sharif writes about something new for all the young professionals to do in downtown Vancouver. Gastown just keeps getting all the good stuff. For the number of YPs, creative start-ups, and young business types that fill the area, this news is sure to excite you.

While a number of gaming escape rooms have opened up in locations surrounding the city, the downtown core area was yet to receive one of their very own. SmartyPantz is making the first move and opening this month – on February 19th.

Following Vancouver’s positive reception to experience-driven businesses like One Under Urban Golf Club and boutique spinning studios, we can see this being a hit. Did we mention it features five escape rooms customized for each experience?

The latest craze has finally come to Vancouver. SmartyPantz has opened an escape room arcade in Gastown. There are 5 rooms to choose from. Try the diabolical Doomed Sub, which has a very low solve rate, or Spies and Lies, a Spy mission that is a little easier. The College and University crowd is one of their biggest demographics. And on your birthday, it’s free!!

Our Location

Hours of operation

Sundays - 1-9

Mondays - Closed

Tuesdays - 5-10

Wednesdays - 5-10

Thursdays - 5-10

Fridays - 3:30-11

Saturdays - 3:30-11

Open earlier/later for larger group (10+) advanced bookings. WALK IN POLICY: We gladly accept walk-ins, however we recommend players make an online reservation to avoid disappointment as operational hours may change without notice.

All guests are required to sign a liability waiver before play. Note, that players under 18 need a waiver signed by their parent or guardian prior to play. You can complete one in advance by looking at the bottom right-hand corner.

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